The Natural Death Centre

How can we help you?

If you are looking for help, support, advice or guidance planning a funeral, either for yourself or for someone close to you, the Natural Death Centre Charity is here for you.

We are passionate about sharing knowledge, dispelling myths, and empowering everyone who wants to have the best experience possible when it comes to making arrangements for a funeral.

We firmly believe that knowledge is power, and that by knowing what is possible, you will be able to make informed choices about what is right for you, your family and for the person who has died.

Please look through the pages of this website, or call our Helpline if you would like to speak to somebody who will give you as much time as you need.

Arranging a funeral

If you have to organise a funeral, or need help with a funeral, please look at our Arranging a Funeral section. Here you will find all the information you need to help you organise a good funeral, along with information about how to buy funeral services or funeral products.

If you want to find an funeral director, or want to know what makes a better funeral director, please look at our Recommended Funeral Directors page. Here you will find information about how to find a good undertaker, and details about funeral directing companies that are recommended as being flexible, transparent and fair. If you need an undertaker to help you with a funeral, we feel it is essential to do some research about the values of the company before appointing one.

If you want to buy a coffin, please look at our Coffins, Shrouds and Memorials page. These are all Eco-coffins (green coffins) made by coffin suppliers who will sell directly to the public. They are generally alternative coffins made from willow or cardboard, however there are a few manufacturers of solid wood coffins who will sell direct as well as to the funeral trade.

Detailed guidance and information about having more control of funeral arrangements is contained in our Information Pack, available free if you join The Natural Death Society - details here

The People's Awards for

The Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK

In keeping with our belief that kindness, support, empowerment and information is what every bereaved family needs, we used the information contained in over a thousand feedback forms from families who chose a natural burial to select the winners in our unique People's Awards.

More to Deathis the official online magazine for The Natural Death Centre and is full of interesting and thought provoking articles. Click here for more information.

Independent funeral advice

In the 23 years since the charity was founded in 1991, the Natural Death Centre has sought to inform, empower and inspire the public in all matters relating to death and dying, and in particular to increase awareness of funeral choices outside of the mainstream.

Despite our long running links with environmentally friendly funerals, we are not a green pressure group, but primarily a movement for social change.

We have played a central part in demystifying the traditional funeral, encouraging thousands of families in having the kind of funerals they wanted, and helping create opportunity for new rituals to emerge.

We are, and will continue to be an informed and reflective presence on issues such as dying at home, caring for our dead and changing funeral practices and we actively promote natural burial as an option that should be offered to everyone.

The Natural Death Society

Do you believe that death is a natural part of life?

Do you feel we should all be empowered in the process of approaching death, of dying and of organising a funeral?

Would you be willing to make a small regular donation to help support the work of The Natural Death Centre?

Would you like a complimentary copy of the Fifth Edition of The Natural Death Handbook, information packs and access to the NDC Google Group?

How you can help us

Our work is only possible through the generous support of people like you. Please consider just making a donation to ensure we can help the next family who call on us. Just follow this link to donate online, send us a cheque, or consider leaving a legacy to the Natural Death Centre Charity in your Will.

If you like what we do but can't afford to donate, please support us through following one of our social network platforms.

The Natural Death Handbook (Fifth Edition)

The latest edition of the Natural Death Handbook is now available for anyone seeking advice on caring for someone who is dying or who wants to find out more about choices in funerals.

Packed with timeless information which has helped to change the way we look at death, this ground breaking work continues to inspire and empower families across the world.

We have chosen to sell the books EXCLUSIVELY directly from the Charity to prevent major online distributors from profiting at our expense.

Packed with timeless information which has helped to change the way we look at death, this ground breaking book continues to inspire and empower families across the world.

Natural Burial Grounds

The Natural Death Centre also runs the Association of Natural Burial Grounds, the organisation which sets the standard for the growing number of green and environmentally friendly cemeteries in the UK.

All of our members undertake to comply with the ANBG Code of Conductand take part in our independent monitoring system, giving families the ANBG Feedback Formto complete and return to the NDC.

Advance Decision Forms

The Natural Death Centre Advance Decision (formerly called an Advanced Healthcare Directive or Living Will), plus a Death Plan form and a Funeral Plan form, can be ordered securely online via our bookshop

You can also watch videos of people talking about their own experiences of end of life care and living with a terminal illness on the 'Living with Dying' section of the healthtalkonlinewebsite.